The present invention is directed toward an oxygen tank key and more particularly toward an oxygen tank key that makes it easier for an operator to turn a tank on and off and to disconnect the regulator from the tank when desired.
Portable oxygen tanks are frequently use by numerous patients having a variety of medical conditions that require them to supplement their oxygen intake. Under some situations, the tanks are left on for long periods of time. In other situations, the tanks must be turned on and off with considerable frequency. It is also common for emergency medical technicians and other first responders to administer oxygen to patients through the use of portable oxygen tanks.
Oxygen tanks must, of course, be turned on when needed and off when not. For this purpose, they are provided with a conventional valve which is opened by rotating the same counter clockwise and is closed by rotating the valve clockwise. In some cases, the valve stem of an oxygen tank is provided with an attached handle or the like to aid in rotating the valve into its open or closed position. Most tanks, however, do not include a handle. This is done to prevent someone from inadvertently turning the tank on when not needed and exhausting the oxygen or inadvertently turning the tank off when it is needed.
In lieu of an attached handle, most oxygen tanks are opened and closed through the use of a wrench or key that can be temporarily applied to the rectangularly shaped top of the valve stem. Conventional keys are made from thin cast or sheet metal or the like that include a rectangular opening therein that is adapted to cooperate with the top of the valve stem. Such keys are useful for closing a valve but are frequently difficult to use when trying to open the same particularly if the valve had been closed too tightly. When using a conventional key, the operator's hand must engage the narrow side edge of the key. This is uncomfortable and frequently can become painful, particularly after numerous operations. One form of a prior art key is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,144 that issued in 1989 to Kaniaris.
As is well known, oxygen from a tank must first pass through a regulator before being used by a patient. Such regulators are attached to the tank by clockwise rotating a thumb screw or lever connected to a screw thread that clamps the regulator into place. The regulator is removed by rotating the lever in the counterclockwise direction. Sometimes the clamp is so tight that it is difficult to rotate the same. When this occurs, a wrench or other tool must be used. Conventional oxygen keys are of little use for this purpose as they are designed solely to aid in turning the valve stem of an oxygen tank on and off. They cannot engage or turn a regulator lever. While the Kaniaris patented device referred to above suggests that it can be use for this purpose, it does not appear to provide the mechanical advantage that may be needed to loosen a regulator clamp that has been over tightened. Furthermore, the Kaniaris device can damage the thumb screw, making the unit inoperable, because pressure is applied to the thumb screw at an acute point of the tool, instead of at a mated surface.
A need, therefore, exists for a tool that is easy and comfortable to use for turning an oxygen tank on and off and which also can be used to help attach or detach a regulator to or from a tank.